The invention relates to a device for collecting eggs of poultry consisting substantially of at least one space bounded by a base board, roof and three walls for accommodating at least one specimen, on which space a discharge conveyer is arranged close to the base board on the standing open side.
Many embodiments of laying nests, coops or batteries already exist which all serve to separate the egg, whether or not in fertilized state, from the animal and collect it for further use. The invention relates particularly to those devices intended for the collection of fertilized eggs, whereby the female animal displays brooding tendencies. This means that the animal will want to lie on the egg in order to hatch it out, which must be prevented. The existing devices are equipped with means which could be described as less than animal friendly.
The device according to the invention is distinguished in that the base board of the space is arranged for swiveling about an axis of rotation lying near the lower edge of the open side thereof such that the base board can be moved from a less inclined laying position into a more inclined closing position for closing off the open side of the space.
The swivel movement can be carried out to reach the closing position at appropriate times, depending on the type of poultry, with the resulting advantage that the eggs laid on the base board roll automatically onto the conveyer belt in front of the open side of the space. Due to the gradual movement of the base board this will take place without damage occurring and a 100% egg discharge is ensured. The broody animal does not have any opportunity to incubate the egg because it is removed from the space. This results not only in a separation between animal and laid egg but also to the space being cleared regularly in order to give other animals the opportunity to make use of the laying area after the base board has been moved back.
These and other features will be elucidated in the figure description of two embodiments following hereinafter.